House Committee Joins Senate in Voting to Deny Use of Taxpayer Dollars to Inspect Horse Slaughter Plants

Thursday, May 29, 2014

Washington, DC—The Animal Welfare Institute (AWI) commends the House Appropriations Committee for including an amendment in the Fiscal Year 2015 Agriculture Appropriations bill to defund federally required inspections of horse slaughter facilities in the United States—a measure that would effectively prevent such plants from operating. The amendment, sponsored by Rep. Jim Moran (D-VA), is identical to amendments he has successfully offered before the House Appropriations Committee several years in a row as part of annual legislation to fund the US Department of Agriculture. It passed by a vote of 28-22. The Senate Appropriations Committee voted 18-12 in favor of an identical amendment to their version of the Agriculture Appropriations bill last week. Action on the final version of the House and Senate appropriations bills is expected to take place later this summer.

“Horse slaughter has no place in American society and this amendment affirms that Congress does not condone this inhumane practice. These iconic creatures are a proud symbol of the American West that should be treasured for their beauty and treated humanely, not killed for export,” said Rep. Moran. “The American public has made clear they oppose horse slaughter and today’s vote reflects the will of the people.”

AWI will monitor the progress of both versions of the Agriculture Appropriations bill as they make their way through the legislative process. While continuation of this annual defund amendment is critical to ensure no horse slaughter plants can open in the United States, AWI’s ultimate goal when it first brought this issue to the attention of Congress has been passage of a federal bill to permanently ban the slaughter of horses in the country while ensuring they are not exported to other countries for slaughter.

“Every time the issue of banning horse slaughter has been given a fair and public vote, support for a ban has been overwhelming and positive,” said Chris Heyde, AWI’s deputy director of government and legal affairs. “As we continue to work toward a permanent ban of horse slaughter, AWI is exploring ways we can all help improve the lives of horses across the country.”

Please be sure to contact your legislators urging support and swift passage for the SAFE Act to halt the slaughter of American horses.

If your legislator voted in support of the Moran amendment, please take a minute to send them an email thanking them for standing up for America’s horses. If they haven’t cosponsored the SAFE Act, please ask them to do so right away. To find your legislator’s contact information, please visit AWI’s Compassion Index.